A background to present day Qatari society

These notes were begun over twenty years ago and have been added too piecemeal since then – like much of this site. But I am less at ease with some of the things I have written about here as I can see there are a number of areas that need amending, others requiring introduction or expansion and some of which I am a little unsure. There has been change in the region which has affected some issues, and I suspect there will be disagreement with some of the points I have made. The notes are placed here so that I will be encouraged to continue working on them and not let them sit in my papers unable to see the light of day.

I should also add that there are likely to be notes on other pages of this site that duplicate the notes here. At some time I will attempt to re-structure them. My main concern is that I don’t write conflicting versions of the same subject.

Present Qatari society is based upon the traditional systems that have been described elsewhere. Essentially, the society represents an evolved tribal form that owes much to structures that have been imposed upon it through a number of influences relating mostly to Britain and its administration of the foreign territories under its control or persuasion. This can be seen particularly in its developed administrative and institutional frameworks.

Societies develop their initial institutions as a result of internal and external pressures developing within or placed upon them. However, there are a number of difficulties in examining the various elements of the developed society as the extent to which each element develops does not necessarily reflect the factors which affect it in degree or type. For instance, Westerners can see in Qatar what appear to be relatively normal administrative systems they might recognise at home. These are obviously imported, yet experience with the systems demonstrates that they do not necessarily operate in the manner that Westerners fully comprehend. For this reason I have elected to look here at characteristic elements of the society taking benefit from socio-cultural studies made some time ago together with my experiences in Qatar.

One of the great difficulties relating to reviewing societies other than our own is that of cultural appropriation. This affects not only the way we perceive other cultures, but also how we identify issues and define actions to pursue which we consider might benefit them. Much has been written about this issue, and it is not my intention to make recommendations here, but to try to identify some of the characteristics that might interest or benefit a Western reader.

Qatari society is under pressure from many influences, and it is to their credit that changes have not been more dramatic. The rate of change has been fast bearing in mind that the development of oil and the beginning of Qatar’s real exposure to the West only began in the late thirties, effectively the late fifties. It seems to me that the greatest pressure has been exerted on the cohesion of the family as the institutions that are now established, particularly government, administration and the environmental setting of society are replicas in many respects of systems that exist in the West, none of which replicate any of the institutions established under Islam. Qatari society has had to develop a series of responses to deal with the day-by-day changes imposed upon it by the adoption of foreign socio-economic systems and their concomitant influences and effects.

Society is in a perpetual state of developmental flux with a complex set of problems to be faced on a daily basis affecting and moderating behaviour. In particular it appears that Qataris, having gone through a brief but exciting period of exposure to wealth in the seventies, now are realising that they are not in command of their own fortunes and, perhaps, are being reminded of the control of Islam over their future. How they will reconcile themselves to the new apportioning of wealth created within this short period of development is uncertain, but it is evident that there have been decisions to develop an infrastructure and facilities that will benefit the majority of Qataris while expanding the State’s profile into the new tourism and leisure market.

Ironically, exposure to the influences, benefits and disbenefits of the West serves to strengthen Western concepts such as democracy within Qatari society, but has also strengthened the practice and controls of Islam. A more visible example can be seen in what is happening within Turkey where Kamal Ataturk’s initiatives are now being re-examined by those who believe the State should turn towards Islam. Ramifications of this are likely to be seen in the rôle of women and freedoms generally.

One particular issue has to be understood in considering the population of the country, and that is the preponderance of non-Qataris in Qatar. Less than half the population is Qatari. A large proportion of these Qataris are young, Qatari women are rarely seen outside their homes and male Qataris carry out their private and public duties in relative privacy. This is, perhaps, one of the reasons why foreigners believe that the proportion of Qataris to non-Qataris is even lower than it is.

Issues such as this are now relatively freely discussed as the present Ruler has introduced the beginnings of many democratic principles, doing away with the Ministry of Information, abolishing censorship and introducing Al Jazeera, the television station that has changed the perceptions of many round the world.

In 1999 Sheikh Hamad presided over the first elections in Qatar’s history for the twenty-nine seats of the people’s Municipal Council. Elections were held again in 2003 with the percentage of eligible voters dropping from 55% to 30%, an interesting statistic in the first years of a democratic system. I should add that the second election saw the first woman elected to the Municipal Council.

This body, together with the Advisory Council – the thirty-five members of which are appointed by Sheikh Hamad on a four-year basis – serve to advise him. The latter body is made up of prominent landowners, farmers and businessmen and, although they have no legislative powers, are influential. These two bodies are, in effect, a formalising of the majlis system, the traditional mechanism for dissemination, discussion, direction and decision-making. So, times are changing and with this comes unrest or at least unease; but Qataris have something strong to support them…

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Regulation of society

As I’ve discussed elsewhere, Muslim society is informed by and dependent upon the Holy Quran. It is a guide to the way Muslims live in its widest meaning and is the single source that can be relied upon for guidance and direction on any issue that presents itself. It is both the basis for religious belief as well as the social code upon which individuals’ actions are based and governed. It is different from the Christian Bible in that it is considered to be the literal word of God.

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Religion

Islam is the official religion of the Arabian peninsula, which comprises the Gulf states and Saudi Arabia, the latter of which contains the most holy places of the Muslim world, Mecca and Medina. Although some religious tolerance is shown towards the practitioners of other religions, this really applies only to those who are said to be ‘people of the book’ – those who share a common pre-history with Islam – Jews and Christians.

It is difficult to over-emphasise the importance of Islam to those dealing with development or anything else, for that matter, within the region. The differences between the generally Christian West and Islam are immense and perhaps impossible for non-Muslims in the West to comprehend fully. From birth all aspects of life for a Muslim are defined, guided and constrained by the Holy Quran. This applies not only to the individual but to the collective society in all its groupings, formal and informal. In this sense the Holy Quran represents a social code, but one which is itself expanded by the sunnah and hadith or traditions of the Prophet on the one hand, and those who take it upon themselves to interpret the Quran and the hadith.

Islam is generally taken to mean the submission of the individual to God, and is focussed on the concept of tawheed, the unity of God. This refers to a unique identity, one which encompasses everything and which is both the creator and sustainer of everything, known and unknown, and requires and deserves sole obedience and worship. In this relationship Muslims accept obligations which must be constantly borne in mind and which they must strive to fulfil. In relationship to physical and environmental development, as well as in terms of creativity, this means total compliance with and in the service of God.

The sunnah and hadith are very similar and often confused. At its simplest the sunnah is the tradition of the Prophet, the codes of conduct and practices established by the Prophet for Muslims to follow. It is the second primary source of the doctrine of Islam. The hadith are a narration of how the Prophet lived, or what he permitted either by acceptance or by not disapproving.

The code of conduct which governs the manner in which Muslims live is known as shari’a and applies individually and collectively. It covers all areas cultural, social, legal, economic and political which must be established and operate in accordance with the guidance delivered by the Quran and sunnah.

The Holy Quran

The Holy Quran was established in the badawi society of fourteen hundred years ago, and it must be a consideration that the manner in which society regulates itself is based upon codes that go back centuries and, in many of its essentials, appears to have changed little. Of course, this is a generalisation for which many exceptions can be argued. But, here, it is imperative to understand both the strength of the relationship between Muslims and the Holy Quran as well as take notice of a number of other factors that apply in this part of the world.

Incidentally, the above photograph illustrates a page of the Holy Quran, and shows the heading of the eighteenth Sura, Al Kahf, from which the English word ‘cave’ is derived.

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Five basic tenets of Islam

Muslims hold that there are five basic tenets of Islam stemming from the tawheed, the belief in the unity of God and His creation.

The first is the affirmation of Muslim belief, the shahada, the statement of the unity of God, and the identification of His prophet.

Following from this is the duty of prayer, salat, which must be carried out five times a day, preferably with others, particularly on Fridays.

During the holy month of Ramadhan Muslims fast, sawm, an exercise in self-control, abstinence and concentration. It is a time of purification of the mind and body characterised by reflection on the essence of Islam.

Everything that a Muslim owns is considered to belong to God and, therefore, those with need may share in this through the system of tax or zakat, which is a sum set aside for their benefit. Usually it is paid annually and should not be confused with alms which are a voluntary gift to those in need. zakat is both a duty and a social obligation.

Finally there is the duty of the hajj, a pilgrimage which is to be made once in a Muslim’s lifetime to the holy city of Mecca. It symbolises both a physical surrender to God as well as a demonstration of equality and unity.

These five religious pillars should be seen to be the practical tenets of Islam, but it should be understood that there are theological tenets as well, also flowing from the tawheed.

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Theological tenets of Islam

The first of these is the tawheed itself, the belief in the unity of God and His creation.

Flowing from this is the taqwa, an attitude of reverence and care for everything, as everything and everybody have been created for a purpose. It requires Muslims not to harm anything wantonly.

The concept of rahma, compassion, is similar to this and requires Muslims to care for everything and carry out beneficial works.

Relating to the hadith of Gabriel, ihsan expects everybody to pray as if they can see God, in the understanding that He can see them.

Having the meaning of governance or stewardship, khilafah has been taken to have the concept of man having stewardship of the world and its resources, with the implication that they should be used wisely.

Described elsewhere, waqf is a charitable endowment used for the benefit of a variety of uses.

One of these, harim, is used to describe land set proscribed from building upon. They can be considered to be green belts or easements upon which no individual may build.

In a similar manner, hima describes areas of wild nature which is owned by, and protected by, the community.

Justice, adl, is a central value of Islam, describing the need to produce justice on earth with all behaving properly to each other.

Knowledge, ilm, is required in order for adl to be applied or obtained and, as such, ilm is a social obligation on all men and women.

There are two other important areas I should add here, with a brief attempt to distinguish between them, shari’a and fiqh.

shari’a is generally taken to be Islamic law but is really a set of principles from which Islamic law is promulgated. The distinction is that while shari’a is a continuum, Islamic law changes in step with Islamic society and its requirements.

The sources for shari’a are the quran, sunnah, ijma, and qiyas. These have been supplemented by Muslim jurists by istislah and ’urf, the former representing public interest, the latter local custom and usage.

On the other hand, fiqh is Islamic jurisprudence and covers all areas of religious, political and civil life. There are a number of different schools of fiqh, each covering a geographical area. That covering the Arabian peninsula is the hanbali school.

This brief description of the tenets of Islam is not meant to be complete and, from experience, the descriptions may not be as accurate as some would like. Although I have said it before, I’ll repeat it here – all these areas flow from the quran and hadith, and must be read and understood in their original Arabic, not in translation.

I hope in setting these out that it will give a better understanding of how Muslims see themselves within the world.

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The main divisions of Islam

There are two main divisions of Islam to be found in the Gulf – sunni and shi’a – though there are, in addition, a number of smaller sects and sub-sects. The two main divisions equate to a large extent with, respectively, the Ottoman and Safavid empires. When the Prophet, Muhammad, died he left no male heir to continue his work. Upon his death a majority of his companions preferred to resolve the leadership problem by electing an individual they believed best qualified for the task, this becoming the sunni. A minority, the shi’a, preferred the principle of heredity and supported Ali, the cousin and husband of Muhammad’s daughter. sunni Muslims are mainly based in Saudi Arabia where the holy places of Islam are located in the towns where Muhammad lived and worked – Mecca and Medina. The Gulf States are also led by sunni Muslims although some have a majority of shi’ite Muslims living in them, such as Kuwait, Bahrein and the United Arab Emirates. shi’ite Muslims are based in Iran, but have a following elsewhere, chiefly in Iraq and Pakistan.

Three of the four immediate successors of the Prophet were murdered and the strength of Islam diluted by warring factions. Legitimacy was claimed by leaders in Damascus, then Baghdad and Cairo. Under Suleiman the Magnificent, the Ottomans defeated their sunni rivals, the Mamelukes of Egypt in 1517, and conquered all Arab lands apart from those of their shi’ite rivals, the Safavids of Persia. Christendom was alarmed by the power of Islam and took a variety of actions attempting to defeat or accommodate it, but it was only with the failure of the Ottoman Empire’s attempt to take Vienna and then Malta, that perceptions in the West began to change.

There are a number of differences between sunni and shi’ite Muslims. One of the more important is that shi’ites are more organised, whereas the sunni eschew an organised clergy.

Islam contains a number of sects who view their religion differently in certain respects. sunni are the majority sect of the Qataris with shi’ite the Muslim minority. Generally the shi’ite have settled into the country from Iran or Bahrein, whereas the sunni have come from the Saudi hinterland. It is important to note that the Al Thani of Qatar are Wahabi sunni – followers of a devout sect based in Saudi Arabia who follow and espouse a strict way of living.

There are traditionally smaller groups such as those who amalgamate their religion with the following of Zar – a traditional African cult or religion that has come to be assimilated into the poorer Qatari traditions and is no longer held to conflict with Islam.

Expatriates comprise the majority of the population, and many of them are Muslims, though often understanding and practicing their religion differently from Qataris. The State is also host to Hindus and Christians both from the Indian sub-continent and Europe .

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Behaviour

Firstly, it is argued that the opposing concepts of shame and honour are crucial to understanding not only the behaviour of individuals – or, in fact, whole groups of the society – but for a comprehension of the failure of the Arab States to progress. Whether or not there has been a failure to progress is debatable, the argument revolving to a large extent around the manner in which success, failure and progress are concepts mainly understood in their European definition; but there does appear to be a concerned body of Arab opinion that asks why there has been failure, and why there has not been progress.

The reason I began with that statement is because it appears to have much to do with the way individuals behave on a personal and group level as well as at the level of national strategy. Understanding this, or not, has great significance now to those in the West. It’s important to realise this when considering individual and group behaviour. At its simplest it is imperative to understand that, when there is conflict against one Muslim group by a non-Muslim group, then all Muslims will automatically side with the Muslim group, regarding it as a shaqiqa. This also applies at an individual level.

Secondly, it should be borne in mind that the ranking of an individual within the society relates directly to the manner in which he is perceived to carry out the duties of his position.

Thirdly, within Qatar there is a hierarchy relating to families in Qatar. This has two basic elements,

• the first composed of those of badu stock,
• the second comprising others who have settled, mainly on the littoral and, generally, being of Iranian origins.

Qatar’s Ruling Family come from one of the badu tribes, the Maadhid who were a branch of the Bani Tamim. For the most part they are intermarried with other badu families, often for political reasons. The merchant class tends to be of Iranian stock based on pearling and trade, though this has changed dramatically with the increase in revenue to the state from oil and gas.

The importance of this is that the character of society in the state depends very much on badu values, no matter what the casual Western visitor thinks from conversation and observation. The difficulty with this is that much of the writing and comment was based on concepts that were different from those obtaining in the Arab world.

For instance, European officials, with their preconceived cultural attitudes and over-respect for hierarchies, assumed that tribal structures were permanent. In fact, structures varied constantly with the ever-changing relationship between shaikh and tribe. Elements of tribes might become independent tribes when a centralised authority was perceived to be weak, and confederations turned into single units under strong leadership.

It is contended that most Europeans who visited Arabia were unable to penetrate the true tribal society. Those who were travellers and explorers were more interested in places than people, and those who policed or adminstered sought to impose their preconceptions and hierarchies on the tribes.

A concomitant difficulty for the Europeans was their lack of understanding of where true power lay. Administrators and businessmen often dealt with individuals appointed to deal with them, not realising that they were treating with agents rather than those holding power. From a political point of view this meant that it was extremely difficult for Westerners to make a true assessment of the situation in which they found themselves. The corollary to this is that we should be extremely circumspect when reviewing early writings.

Prior to the 1950s very few Qataris could read and write, and most of the information we have on the area is based on the observations and records of Europeans. To the best of my knowledge, the first serious work attempting to understand the manner in which the society operated was not carried out until 1972. It was then that a planning team employed socio-anthropologists in order to be able to understand the society better and to establish sensible and sensitive planning policies.

With regards to badu society it is common to think of the tribes as coherent and cohesive units. This is not really the case. The individual badawi is, in theory, free of constraint or responsibility and there still exists a romantic feeling for the concept of the individual and his life in the harsh extremes of the desert. However, it is common sense that he aligns himself with a tribe – usually the one into which he is born – in order to enjoy its protection. This photograph typifies to me the feeling of the individualism enjoyed by badu even today, with a badawi walking while holding his old Lee-Enfield .303 over his shoulder.

As a member of a tribe the badawi must obey its rules though, as a member of the tribe, he will participate in its deliberations and work to the general benefit of the tribe. But if he feels marginalised or that his independence is constrained, he will be free to leave. The onus is on him to align his interests with the tribe and work to its benefit, his position within the tribe being dependent on and achieved through his own efforts.

The system of tribal government is simple. Each tribe or section of a tribe is nominally ruled by a shaikh, elected by consensus. There is no qualification required either from the electors or the elected. Generally this results in power being entrusted to members of certain families from whom the shaikh is elected.

It is difficult to know how the election takes place but, talking to individuals there seems to be a very strong feeling for who is electable, and who is the best person for the job. It seems to be a case of primus inter pares, and obviously this varies with time and circumstance.

The shaikh rules absolutely but takes advice both from his peers as well as, more formally, from his majlis. Having said that, the majlis was not the formalised body it now is in the Gulf states – in both cases a group representing the more important elements of the tribe. Access to the shaikh is imperative as it is the mechanism for receiving petitions, listening to and dealing with individuals’ problems, and obtaining an understanding of the problems of the tribe.

The shaikh needs to be relatively wealthy as he will be responsible for hospitality, an extremely important characteristic of the badu life and one which continues with both rural and urban dwellers. Generosity is measured in terms of time, accommodation and meals but also can be in terms of funding or assistance as discussed below. Commonly it is associated with food. Here is a traditional Qatari meal known as machboos. Traditionally a guest would be fed a meal like this of camel or sheep served on a bed of rice, and often with chicken round the rim of the dish.

Wealth is accrued through a variety of operations, some of them derived from zakat, some from subsidies paid by tribes acknowledging his authority, and some from trade, particularly pearling.

In return, the shaikh provides prestige, security and direction for the individual badawi as well as the tribe in general. In the past he would also pay for the resolution of many of the individuals’ problems brought to him. Nowadays this is devolved upon the state. This move from personal involvement to the state’s action is important and will be discussed later.

You might consider each tribe as a separate nation with its own conceptual rights relating to peace and war, and its own political independence. This, then, is the setting for the individual within a society developed from badu roots.

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Family

Although Islam means the submission of an individual to God, the family is the fundamental unit of Islamic society. Its importance in this sense should not be underestimated. The society relies on the stability which family life brings and the harmony this establishes in the social structure though, in recent years, this structure is being threatened.

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Extended and nuclear families

But the term ‘family’ has a slightly different meaning in its Islamic context than it does in its Western one. At its simplest the Islamic family is assumed to be an extended family as opposed to the nuclear family common in the West, and this type of family is much preferred to the nuclear type. There are psychological, social, economic and political reasons for this as I have mentioned previously.

Psychologically there is strength and steadiness to be gained from living in the larger number and wider age range of an extended family. The collective experience within the family brings stability through the knowledge, advice and support its individuals can provide. It is not unusual for a number of generations to live in the same building or building complex and, where this is not possible, to maintain the close links through visiting and the telephone – all this to a greater extent than in the West.

The social value of this is significant. The extended family encourages, if not demands, the participation of its members which, as well as promoting the positive psychological values of the last paragraph, reinforces the social links. The latter is particularly dependent upon the Holy Quran. Among other things, the Quran establishes responsibilities for the extended family by specifying requirements for a number of issues including relationships and inheritance. For instance, here is one of the verses of the Holy Quran dealing with inheritance – 4.176:

They ask you for a decision of the law. Say: Allah gives you a decision concerning the person who has neither parents nor offspring; if a man dies (and) he has no son and he has a sister, she shall have half of what he leaves, and he shall be her heir she has no son; but if there be two (sisters), they shall have two-thirds of what he leaves; and if there are brethren, men and women, then the male shall have the like of the portion of two females; Allah makes clear to you, lest you err; and Allah knows all things.

It bears repeating that the Holy Quran is the basis on which Muslims live their lives.

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Socio-economic benefit

The wider grouping of the family produces a substantial influence on the perceived and actual economic coherence of the family. Under Islam men and women have different rôles in life. At its crudest it can be characterised as the men providing economic input, the women dealing with the child rearing aspects. This, by the way, is codified in the Holy Quran. It is possible for one man to have the responsiblity of looking after a large, extended family, but it is also possible for there to be a number of men having an economic input into the family. It is evident that the number of men providing this input will differ over time in any one extended family, but the possibility of more than a single person providing economic benefit is great. In addition to this, the character of Islam and the links with the wider family or even the qabila encourages economic support where needed. In this aspect the head of the tribe is responsible for ensuring the economic health of the tribe and, by extension, the families within it.

Within the tribe you can see that there is political advantage to working for the economic and social health of the tribe. At a smaller scale this also applies to the family. The stronger and more cohesive the family is, the more power they are likely to have within the society. Marriage within the family and the occasional marriage outside it to strengthen links will create a stronger power base for the family, one that will bring it increased benefit within the tribe and, to some extent, outside it.

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Rôles of the sexes

Islam is criticised in the West for the manner in which it is thought it subjugates women to a lesser rôle than men. The Holy Quran establishes the basis for family life and, in this, men have the rôle – actually, the duty – of providing economically for the family, while the women, due to their natural characteristics, produce and rear children. These two rôles are both duties and priviledges and embraced naturally within the family. It is this that is at the root of the prescriptions for inheritance and the like.

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Marriage

One of the significant areas in which Islamic social values are strong is that relating to marriage. As in the West families are organised through patrilineal descent, though it is interesting to note that Qatari families are matrifocal. Marriage outside the family is rare and actively discouraged though, as I noted above, there is a tradition of families inter-marrying in order to maintain and strengthen political alliances.

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Tradition in marriage

By convention, a Qatari, as in traditional tribal society, should marry his first cousin. This is not always managed for a number of reasons. In Qatar, particularly, families confine social events to the immediate family and there is little cross-family visiting. Women are required to stay at home and few work as it is believed that this might bring their families into disrepute. There is rarely the possibility for men to meet Qatari women and develop relationships that are likely to lead to marriage. However, times are changing, particularly with the possibility of tertiary education being readily available and the government’s policies of encouraging women in the workplace.

I mentioned the criticism of Islam with regard to the perceived inferior status accorded to women, but argued that this is not the case. One of the reasons for this criticism has been the trend in the West for women to move into the economic areas that men traditionally have taken. Arguments revolve around the right that women have to work at the same jobs as men, and the difficulties this brings with regard to equal pay, child rearing and so on. Western governments have introduced a range of policies to encourage and enable women to work, have children and see them looked after. This is inimical to the requirments of the Holy Quran. Islam holds both rôles of men and women to be of equal merit and, in their different activities being followed, creates successful families. In particular you should understand that men have a legal duty to look after women, but women do not have this duty. Their rôles are distinct and different.

Having said that there is certainly considerable feeling among some who see their lives governed, cradle to grave, by men. A young Saudi woman has written this on her blog:

I am born
A man chooses my name
I am taught
To appreciate
That he did not bury me alive
I learn
What he wants me to know
I live
What he wants me to live
I marry
Who he wants me to marry
I eat
What he wants me to eat
If he dies
Another man controls my life
A Father
A Brother
A Husband
A Son
A Man
Then
Then
They tell me when I die
I am going to be judged on my man-made life.
I can’t be judged
I’ll never be judged…
It is just another rant
buried in the Kingdom of Sand

For those wishing to read more in the Quran on marriage, this listing is taken from the index to the USC-MSA Compendium of Muslim texts:

• Marriage, 25:54
  • adultery, 17:32
    • evidence required (four witnesses), 24:4
    • false accusers punishment, 24:4, 24:19, 24:23
    • forbidden, 17:32, 25:68
    • if there aren’t four witnesses, 24:6-9
    • marriage after, 24:3
    • punishment for, 24:2
  • appoint arbiter from among you when fearing a breach, 4:35
  • complaints, 58:1
  • don’t hold wives against their will, 4:19
  • dowry, 4:4, 4:19-21, 4:24, 4:25, 5:5, 60:10, 60:11
    • other mutually agreed arrangements, 4:24
    • woman may return it, 4:4
  • forbidden
    • to certain kin, 4:22-24
    • to non-believers, 2:221, 5:5, 60:10
  • fornication forbidden, 4:24, 4:25, 4:27, 5:5
  • if unable, 24:33
  • if woman fears mistreatment from her husband, 4:128
  • love and tenderness, 30:21
  • polygamy, 4:3
    • restrictions about, 4:3
    • warning against, 4:129
  • recline with spouses in Paradise, 36:56, 40:8, 43:70
  • spouses are raiment for each other, 2:187
  • to adopted son’s ex-wife is permitted, 33:37
  • to orphans, 4:3
  • to single woman only, 4:24
  • to slave
    • and among slaves, 24:32
    • woman if need arises, 4:3, 4:25
      • better if men don’t marry, 4:25
      • even if she’s married before being captured, 4:24
      • punishment only half of free women’s if immoral, 4:25
    • to unmarried only, 24:32

The above are, of course, translations. The Holy Quran has to be applied in the original Arabic, supported by the hadith.

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Matrifocal society

So, with the different rôles established, with restricted contact outside the family, and with the need to continue the tradition of extended families, how is this managed? Anybody visiting a Qatari household will see that there is a strong matrifocal atmosphere. There will be women of different ages, young children of both sexes and servants. There may be one or two male servants who will be expatriates, but there will generally be no Qatari men in sight for most of the day though younger sons tend to visit from time to time. Some of the women there will be visiting as is the custom during the day.

The women meet, generally in the home of the most senior, and drink tea and coffee, eat biscuits, chocolates and cake, apply henna, discuss issues of the day – and make plans, particularly for the younger, unmarried members of their family, both boys and girls. It is these relations and friends who will effectively find a wife for a young Qatari when it is thought by the family that it is time for him to marry, and plans for these events are made years in advance as they are essentially political alliances.

This implies that a bride is only sought when it is time for marriage. This isn’t really so as the process starts a long time before that. Families keep a constant eye on the opportunities for making suitable matches. There is constant discussion about the suitability of, preferably, cousins. Women visit and check out young girls as possible matches for the boys in their family.

Interestingly there is a strong romantic ideal in the Arab world and young Qataris of both sexes push the boundaries of social behaviour, as do the young in many other societies. Generally, however, marriage is within families – traditionally between first cousins – and the unity of the extended family is deliberately maintained. If marriage is not within the family then it is for political reasons, drawing together families of similar character and interests, often reinforcing previous alliances. It is very rare that marriages are made for love in the manner understood in the West. It is, however, far easier to see more of the opposite sex than was previously possible. Visits to the hospitals and clinics, shopping trips, or drives along the Doha Corniche are all opportunities to see or be seen. With exposure of individuals through the mechanisms of the television and telephone, flirtations can easily be pursued though the stigma to the family, particularly that of the woman, should the romance be discovered, can be significant. Traditionally the father and brothers would be responsible for dealing with the shame brought on the family by a wayward daughter. More particularly, telephones and mobiles have become the methods of contact and communication.

While it is unusual for marriages to result from these liaisons, marriages have resulted when Qatari men have gone overseas for their tertiary education. There are a number of Qatari men with foreign wives, though this brings additional problems to the marriages and, of course, to the stability of the extended family – though the greatest strain has to be on the foreign wife. Generally these marriages have been to Westerners who have had to embrace Islam in order to marry, or to Muslims from the Indian sub-continent. In the former case there may be later difficulties when a fuller understanding of Islam and the social ramifications of marriage to a Qatari are better understood. I don’t know if there are many or any Qatari girls who have married foreign men though have been told there are. The State has had an ambivalent attitude towards Qatari men marrying foreigners, reflecting society’s difficulties with such marriages; and there are difficulties relating to women travelling abroad with their children. However, when the extended family accept the marriage – and that really means acceptance before the marriage – there is little reason for the marriage to be seen as anything other than normal, and my understanding is that the families are very supportive.

Western women who have married Qataris can have an ambivalent view of the benefits of their new life. The perils of marrying Muslims has been dramatised in the West by films such as ‘Not without my daughter’ where the law which permits foreign mothers to leave, but without their children is capitalised upon. However, there is another side to this. Qatar allows mothers to leave with their children though it is possible that, were the father to disagree, this would not be permitted. In countries such as Qatar there is considerably more safety than there is in the West, and many mothers realise that their children are not only more safe there from the prevalent Western problems of drugs and crime, but they enjoy considerable benefits in their relationships with their immediate family. Cousins, nephews and friends are, by the nature of the size of the country, only a short distance away. The extended family meets relatively often on an informal basis as I have mentioned before, and this forms a strong stabilising influence on the children.

Not all Gulf States are the same in their view and treatement of foreign wives. There is a concern in some States that their national gene pool should not be diluted and, particularly, that there should not be marriages with women from the Indian sub-continent. However, times change and pressures for democratisation on the Gulf States are likely to alter viewpoints both nationally as well as individually. Bearing in mind the changes that are happening in the region it is not possible to predict how this will develop.

As I mentioned above, mothers and the women of the larger family are responsible for selecting a wife for their sons. Usually this has meant that the mother and her friends keep a constant eye on girls whom they believe are good matches for their sons. This process starts at an early age with the mother looking at a relatively small pool from which to find a bride. This pool was traditionally confined to family or tribe or, in the case of important families, potential political associations with other families. In Qatar there are families who traditionally marry members of another specific family by preference in order to maintain these links.

With development has come increasing exposure of families to the outside world, particularly through education. It was relatively common up to a generation ago for girls’ education to be stopped at secondary level when it became necessary for her to marry. This is still the case in some families but is certainly less so than it was. Now girls want to go on university, an activity that is promoted by the State as well as being supported by those wishing to have more of a rôle for women.

One particular effect of the selection of girls marrying within the family was caused when there were not enough boys to pair them with. Girls became accustomed either to make the decision to become a spinster, or to wait until later in their life when they might become a second wife to a married man. This still occurs, but I don’t know the extent. It is obviously a very personal decision.

I should also add that marriages are entered into voluntarily by both parties, though there is obviously considerable discussion within the family, including the boy and girl, before an agreement is reached between the two fathers and, particularly, before an agreement is signed. Once signed the intended marriage is binding.

An interesting side effect of the method of selecting a bride is that the University is now regarded as a place to view potential marriage partners by the mothers, even though men are often apprehensive at the possibility of obtaining a more worldly, educated wife. A University course, importantly, also raises the marriage age of women from the middle teens to the early to mid-twenties – a much later age for the marriage of women than traditionally was the case. However, there are other aspects of education at the University that cause difficulties.

Girls generally obtain better examination results than boys and the output from the University is in a proportion greater than two to one, girls to boys. Unfortunately for the female graduates there are a smaller number of opportunities for their employment than many would like though the State is attempting to improve this. Examination results are not the only criteria as there are obviously more alternative career opportunities for boys than girls, with many male Qataris electing to join the police or military, for instance. Because of the later age of marriage and, perhaps, the psychological feeling that women outnumber the men, some women at the University tend to marry for the sake of marriage rather than be left a spinster. It is, apparently, not uncommon for a university student to become a second or third wife for this reason though I also know of Qatari women who have deliberately decided to be a spinster rather than become a second or third wife.

Girls traditionally have their husbands selected for them, but there is increasing evidence that they are becoming more particular in their acceptance of their mothers’ selection, and this choice is no longer automatically approved. The factors influencing this include the ability to view more potential husbands through increased mobility; the knowledge of western marriage selection; concepts of romance; maturity and education. These, of course, conflict with the traditional view of marriages being dynastic, drawing together more closely a single family or, more often nowadays, two related families.

Young wives generally live with their parents-in-law where the wife comes under the authority of her new Mother-in-Law unless, through the right to obtain a house and land from Government, they are able to develop a new home and live there.

Nowadays, most Qataris only take a single wife, chiefly for economic reasons, but this also reflects the Quranic requirement that a man should only take more than one wife if he is able to provide for all his wives equally. This requirement is readily translated into physical form when a man has to construct similar housing for his wives when at the least, under Islamic Law women may lay proper claim to the minimum provision of a private living room in a polygynous marriage. This is the manner in which a house is arranged where there are two or more wives, but it can prove difficult to accomplish what is considered to be an equitable sharing of spaces.

When there is space and sufficient funding for it, the preference is to have houses of equal size given to the wives. Sometimes this is not possible and the wives will live in different places as a result of circumstances at the time of the marriage. However, when it is possible, an arrangement can be made such as in this photograph where four sites are located at the west side of this development giving some form of parity for four wives.

In a sense the above photograph, shown here in its basic form, illustrates the ideal requirement for a family where there is a villa-style development with landscaping within a surrounding secure wall, containing separate houses for the man of the household and his four wives together with majlis, masjid and the concomitant service accommodation including hierarchical car parking.

Because of the power of the women in the society there are a number of difficulties faced by men in providing both the wealth thought necessary to run the household in a manner to which the family has or would like to become accustomed, and in attaining and holding the position in society thought necessary within the family group. For this reason there is often considerable conflict within families about the achievements of the husband and his activities in the society that, at the higher levels, can be followed both through the traditional majalis of men and women, as well as through the media.

Although the society is matrifocal and the mother at the centre of her family enjoys great social power, a woman is at risk in two areas of society. The first is in producing the male children required by society;

• it is significant that Arabs will congratulate each other for the birth of boys with a standard phrase that is not that used for the birth of a girl; and
• a man is familiarly referred to by name as the father of his oldest son, for instance ‘’bu Khalid’.

A succession of daughters does not advance the status of wife in the society.

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Choice and number of wives

The number of wives that Muslims may have is also a subject of comment in the West. A Muslim may take up to four wives but he must treat them equally. Talking with Muslims you will find that it is now unusual to take more than a single wife because of the potential strain. Where a man has more than a single wife it is usually either for political reasons or for the original rationale: to look after orphans and women who require protection ̵ 4.03:

And if you fear that you cannot act equitably towards orphans, then marry such women as seem good to you, two and three and four; but if you fear that you will not do justice (between them), then (marry) only one or what your right hands possess; this is more proper, that you may not deviate from the right course.

I have been told that the original impetus for taking more than one wife was for widows and orphans to be looked after, and there is much made of the regulation of behaviour towards orphans and their estates in the Quran to support this.

Where there are political circumstances for a man to take more than one wife it is not uncommon for this to be discussed and decisions made in the majlis situation and then ratified with the women of the families involved. In this circumstance it may be that the first wife will not know about the decision to take a second wife until it is presented as a fait accompli. However, where there are family or social circumstances for a man to take more than one wife, it is not uncommon for the first wife to have a say in the choice if not direct the process along with her female family friends. In both these circumstances it can be seen that the provision for wives is directed by a greater social need of the tribe or family.

The key points to bear in mind is that wives have to be treated equally, and that society will be aware of how well the man accomplishes this.

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Divorce

Much is made in the Western world of the Islamic attitude to divorce. A number of sources suggest it is a trivial process and abusive to women. This is a simplistic position and not in accordance with the requirements of the Holy Quran.

Under Islam divorce may not be capricious, although it is has always been thought that the threat of it is used by some men. However, although there are traditional safeguards to ensure that a woman is provided for when she becomes divorced, the attitude of the State in making provision for social security benefits in such instances, as well as others, has weakened the traditional responsibilities of families and societies to protect and care for such women.

The divorce rate is, apparently, rising and has become a cause for concern. The reason for the rise in the rate within the Gulf is thought generally to revolve around the conflicts between traditional values and those imported from the West. It is interesting to note that the other reasons given are the relative youth of those embarking upon marriage and the concomitant belief of the couples’ relative immaturity and their inability to shoulder marital responsibilities – a rationale that has not changed in centuries. This is compounded by the ability for divorces to be sanctioned by the blessing of a religious Sheikh without the need for the couples to go to court. As there seems to be a distinct pattern of both men and women seeking to be married later for the reasons given above, I believe that this second reason may not be as strong an argument as that relating to the impact of Western values.

Divorce is not considered to be an appropriate course for Muslims, although provision is made for it. Both the woman and man have the right to instigate divorce: when the proposal originates with the man it is termed talaq; with the woman, khula’a. Where cruelty or desertion requires this course of action then arbiters for both parties are appointed from within the family to effect a reconciliation. When a divorce is pronounced, a waiting period, idhat, is set down during which the woman is permitted to remain within the house when it is hoped that a reconciliation can be made, and when it can be observed whether she is pregnant. Should she be so, then idhat will last until the delivery of the child, and the woman and child will be supported with food and clothing for a further period of two years. Should divorce proceed, then the man should be generous in not taking back gifts previously given to his wife.

• Divorce, 4:130, 65:1
  • after waiting period, dissolve or reconcile, 2:231, 65:2
    • two witnesses, 65:2
  • alimony, 2:233, 2:241
    • extends to ex-husband's heir, 2:233
  • can be revoked twice, 2:229
  • dowry status, 2:229, 2:236-237
  • find wet-nurse if necessary, 65:6
  • Man
    • divorce one woman for another – don't take back what you gave first, 4:20
    • don’t harass wife, 65:6
    • don’t hold wives against their will, 4:19
    • four months to change his mind, 2:226
    • support wife fully
      • during her pregnancy, 65:6
      • during her waiting period, 65:6
      • if she's nursing your child, 65:6
  • mother shouldn’t suffer because of her fatherless child, 2:233
  • pre-Islamic, 58:2
    • contrition to reconcile
      • fast for 2 consecutive months, 58:4
      • feed 60 needy people, 58:4
      • free a slave, 58:3
  • reconciliation attempt, 4:35
  • sinless if marriage unconsummated, 2:236
    • bride entitled to half of the dowry, 2:237
  • Woman
    • after third divorce (this one from another husband) can return to original husband, 2:229
    • entitled to maintenance, 2:241, 65:1
    • equal right to divorce, 2:228
    • fear ill treatment by husband, 4:128
    • may keep what her husband gave her, 2:229
    • not to be expelled from their homes, 65:1
    • three menstruation wait to disprove pregnancy, 2:228
    • three month wait for those free of menstruation, 65:4
      • unless marriage unconsummated, 33:49

The above index has been taken from the USC-MSA Compendium of Muslim texts.

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Inheritance

The requirements for inheritance are set out in the Holy Quran. One of the verses dealing with this is quoted above, another – 4.11 – adds:

Allah enjoins you concerning your children: The male shall have the equal of the portion of two females; then if they are more than two females, they shall have two-thirds of what the deceased has left, and if there is one, she shall have the half; and as for his parents, each of them shall have the sixth of what he has left if he has a child, but if he has no child and (only) his two parents inherit him, then his mother shall have the third; but if he has brothers, then his mother shall have the sixth after (the payment of) a bequest he may have bequeathed or a debt; your parents and your children, you know not which of them is the nearer to you in usefulness; this is an ordinance from Allah: Surely Allah is Knowing, Wise.

and 4.12:

And you shall have half of what your wives leave if they have no child, but if they have a child, then you shall have a fourth of what they leave after (payment of) any bequest they may have bequeathed or a debt; and they shall have the fourth of what you leave if you have no child, but if you have a child then they shall have the eighth of what you leave after (payment of) a bequest you may have bequeathed or a debt; and if a man or a woman leaves property to be inherited by neither parents nor offspring, and he (or she) has a brother or a sister, then each of them two shall have the sixth, but if they are more than that, they shall be sharers in the third after (payment of) any bequest that may have been bequeathed or a debt that does not harm (others); this is an ordinance from Allah: and Allah is Knowing, Forbearing.

• Inheritance, 2:180, 4:176, 89:19
  • apportionment to
    • children and parents, 4:11
    • other kin, orphans, and the needy, 4:8
    • siblings, 4:12
    • widows and widowers, 4:12
  • don’t hold unloved wives for, 4:19
  • for men, 4:7
  • for women, 4:7
  • summary, 4:33

The above listing is taken from the index to the USC-MSA Compendium of Muslim texts.

When a woman is divorced she returns to her family who are required to look after her. Should she have a son she may also rely upon him for support in the fullness of time. Should she have no family she will be provided for equitably by the State although, in the past, this duty would have been assumed either by the husband, or by the head of the qabila to whom she belonged. Essentially she is allowed to leave the marriage with the effects that have been given to her before and within the marriage. This is said to account for the desire of women to have jewellery with which, to some extent, they are able to safeguard their futures.

A woman will also benefit at the death of her husband by a proportion of his wealth. The broad principles are laid down in the Holy Quran, but the details are expanded within the hadith. Distribution of a man’s wealth takes place only after all legacies and debts, including the funeral expenses have been discharged. In addition to a share in the property the widow is also entitled to her maintenance and residence expenses for a year. If the man’s parents are living they will receive a sixth each, and the rest will go to the children, a male taking twice that of a female. A widow will receive a quarter of her husband’s estate if there are no children, and an eighth if there are children. A husband will receive a half of his deceased wife’s estate if there are no children, the rest going to residuaries; if she has children the husband will receive a quarter.

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Children

Much of what I want to say about children will be found in other areas of this page, mainly in the part relating to play. The most important point to make are that young children, from an early age, tend to lead lives that are designed to teach them their rôles in later life. This is not something that happens artificially, it is a natural consequence of following the precepts of the Holy Quran and hadith.

Boys and girls do play together to some extent, particularly up to the age of about four or five but, beyond that, their daily pattern – out of school where they are segregated anyhow – is governed by their following the household patterns of the men and women.

Boys, from the age of about six are encouraged to take their part in society and learn the business of their father with regard to the manner in which the father presents himself to the family and society. Sons are normally brought to formal and informal events and, while not encouraged to participate actively, are listened to if they choose to speak and, of course, are educated in the customs of the society through this device. The boys of the house, in this manner, take on the attitudes and seniority required of them and, in so doing, automatically adopt positions of public and private seniority to the girls of the house. It is noticeable, for instance, within the privacy of the family life, that the younger sons automatically takes on the right to order older sisters to fulfil the society’s accepted rôles as providers and sustainers of the home, as is described in the Quran.

By Western standards, Qatari children can appear to be spoiled, being given expensive presents, toys and sweets on demand, and apparently being permitted to misbehave both by parents and, particularly, by servants. Lack of control, particularly of boys, causes significant behavioural problems in younger children and, incidentally, exacerbates problems such as medical and dental due to poor eating standards. But there is another aspect of the parent/child relationship that is peculiar by European standards, and that is the extent to which fathers will not permit their children to participate in activities that are considered to be dangerous. These activities will include skateboarding, swimming and a number of other areas in which Western children normally participate with their friends and, in doing so, develop not only motor skills and hand/eye co-ordination, but inter-personal relationships with their peers. It is particularly noticeable that this attitude appears to be related to better off families, or those who believe they have an important standing in the society. The reason given for this type of protection or paternalism is love for the child and the hurt that would be felt were there to be an accident.

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Leisure and recreation

Wealth has brought more opportunities for both leisure and recreation in Qatar. This seems to be particularly true for women. Here two young women sit in one of the new public parks and talk as their children play. It is a scene that is commonplace in the West but vividly illustrates one of the major advances that have been made through emancipation in the Gulf. As I have touched on here and here there are a number of factors militating against emancipation, but women in Qatar have benefited from a series of policies and educational opportunities promoted by the present Ruler and his wife, and this has provided additional opportunities for leisure and its enjoyment.

There will be continuing debate on how much freedom in Western terms will be allowed women, but their ability to enjoy leisure is very much bound up with the ability for men to enjoy not just leisure, but the character of leisure promoted by the many Western influences which, in many respects, are in conflict with Islamic values.

But, for men, there is an area which I have placed here under the notes on leisure, which represents so much more than leisure. This photograph illustrates the basic requirements for a leisurely stay in the desert. It epitomises the lure that the desert holds for many Qataris, whether of badu descent or not, but particularly for the former with their love of hunting with falcons. It may be difficult to understand unless it has been experienced, but the desert is not just a setting for modern leisure pursuits; it is a connection to history and tradition, a continuation of a way of life which is so different from the modern way of life that, nowadays, it has to be experienced as a specific exercise.

In moving into the desert, worries drop away and Qataris can be seen to relax visibly. Although this can be thought of as leisure in that it is certainly not work, it really represents the reclaiming of a traditional way of life. The above photograph illustrates both the passive and active elements of this form of leisure: the passive is represented by the dowshek and masaanid together with the fire, ibriq and della, while the shaheen represents the active sport of hunting. In this setting many Qataris feel at their most natural. Leaving the worries of work and business back in their urban environment, this might be thought to be a form of escapism. If it is, it also reflects a firm understanding of a more natural way of living where it is possible to meet friends in an informal majlis setting within a natural environment. Desert life was harsh and spending time out of the modern, urban environment can not fully replicate its range of activities, but it is good to see that it is, nevertheless, pursued even if this is considered to be a leisure pursuit.

More to be written…

Children’s play has changed dramatically in the Gulf as it has in the West over the last generation. Up to the nineteen-eighties it was common to see many of the traditional games being played in the street, in the desert or on the beach where families were enjoying themselves. But this is no longer the case when increased wealth and pressures, in the main from television, advertising and travel, have introduced new characters of play. These two photos of two boys playing marbles and girls engaged in a traditional game are relatively unusual and were, in fact, taken in re-enactments which have become a feature of the tourist industry in Qatar.

Leisure is the term that encompasses activities of various forms, some of them recreational. It is the recreational activities that I am particularly interested in here. ‘Leisure’ and ‘recreation’ are not interchangeable terms.

Play or recreation has two main types:

• active, and
• passive.

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Active recreation

Active recreation requires participation and implies the expenditure of energy. It is usally assumed to encompass sports, whether team or individual. But activities can range from low-impact activities such as yoga and walking to high-impact activities such as squash and football. These latter activities include contact sports such as rugby and judo – neither of which I have seen Qataris taking part in – as well as non-contact such as track and field sports, swimming, wind-surfing and the like.

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Passive recreation

Passive recreation, on the other hand, implies either the lack of intent to participate in an active pursuit, or the casual viewing of an activity that interests the viewer. It involves no or little expenditure of energy and tends to be observational such as watching football, viewing art works, reading or watching television. It can be thought of as unproductive, but there is a body of evidence that some forms can be beneficial to the individual – though not necessarily developing his or her physical health.

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Need and opportunity for play

There is a basic and natural need for children to play now as there has been for years, though there are some significant changes. Due to the lower housing densities, the numbers and character of expatriates living near Qataris, and the lack of social neighbourhood cohesion there are less children of any given age group to play together than there were twenty or more years ago unless parents transport children. As I have mentioned previously, the extended family helps to enlarge the numbers of children in contact with each other and, where this is not within a single compound, it is natural for the families to move between compounds, bringing their children with them.

Not only do many children have to be taken by their parents to play with relations and friends as their houses are not in the same proximity they once were, but also the neighbours are unlikely to be related and may not be the friends they once were. This is one element that tends to discourage the casual play that is an important element in developing the growing child, and is particularly true in housing areas that have a wide variety of nationalities living within them. Compounding this is a relatively new factor that sees far more toys – mainly of Western design – purchased for children due to increased affluence, a larger disposable income, and a national tendency to over-provide for children both toys and sweets. Qatari children have far more toys than Western children, and gifts from family and friends are, to the Western mind, over-generous.

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Traditional recreation

In the past patterns of play were guided by two particular aspects of life in Qatar. Firstly, the physically small size of the conurbations with their tight internal cores and easy access to the immediate hinterland and, secondly the lack of money with which to buy, and the small amounts of scrap material from which to develop, play objects. A third, cultural, aspect was the lack of formal games in the region as had developed in the West over time, such as football, cricket, tennis and the like. Games which required expensive items were obviously not followed though, as in the West, substitute arrangements were made for playing games such as football as these games were introduced and gained popularity.

Children all over the world have traditionally played with their friends around the house and its curtilage using found or made objects for their games. In the past Qatari games were developed using simple materials that were readily to hand, often utilising discarded and found material. Their games might be classified as active or passive. Of the former there were running games such as stick and hoop as illustrated in the top photograph here, and mobile games such as hopscotch which requires only lines scratched in the sand and a stone to play. There were also competitive games such as a game that I used to know as tip-stick where a small stick on the ground is struck in such a way as to lift it into the air when it is then struck again with a view to sending it as far as possible. In Qatar the game was known as al-qleena wa al-matuwa’, and was played between two players or two teams, there being senders as illustrated in the lower photograph and receivers whose task it was to stop or catch the struck stick. This was one of number of games that developed individual hand and eye coordination, skills which included simple games such as stone throwing and marbles, but there was also model boat sailing and kite flying which required other skills in order to play successfully. In addition to these, in the littoral developments, there were games that developed with water-based skills related to swimming and fishing.

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Range of games

Passive games were relatively few as even board games – in actuality played on the ground using stones as counters or markers – had a degree of active participation by onlookers taking their turn to play. But what there were appear to have been, or were variations of manqala. There is evidence, incidentally, of boards carved in the rocks at jibaal Fuwairat and Jasasiya, that go back centuries.

This example of double rows of carved holes is thought to have been created for the game of manqala. Both the rock carving and double rows are believed to be centuries old and are located on Jebel Fuwairat on the north-east coast of the peninsula. The theory is that they were carved by people waiting to spot the pearling fleets coming in at the end of the season. Whether for the pearling or fishing fleets or, perhaps, keeping an eye open for the British, pirates or raiders, they indicate the popularity of the game.

Most games were designed to give everybody a degree of participation. These patterns have changed. Despite the emphasis on sports in School and in the various sports clubs, there is now the reinforcement through availability out of School of many passive pursuits with the consequent effects upon children. This is perceived to be a serious problem by Qataris, but is a concomitant of the way in which society has developed with increased contact with the the Arab world and the West. Nowadays active children’s games include but are not limited to – football, running hoops, shuttlecock and battledore, boats, cars and adventure games based on toys and equipment – and passive pursuits include video and television viewing, recorded stories and music, watching football, basketball, etc.

I should explain that the sports clubs were scattered through old Doha and the other towns of Qatar and were usually associated with a qabila or feriq sometimes, of course, the two being coincident. Depending on their location and funding they were of different sizes but usually consisted of a building with an associated open area. In this area football was the main activity despite their being much smaller than a football field and being covered in, usually, sand. In the building the usual activities was watching television or playing board games. The key point being that the sports clubs were a focus for local interests as well as the beginnings of competitive development.

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Influence of servants

One element that I notice seems to be having an influence on play is the introduction of servants. Increased affluence has enabled many families to employ at least a maid, usually from the Philippines or Indian sub-continent. The maids help with the household chores but are often required to – or take it upon themselves to – help entertain the smaller children of the family, particularly to learn English. There appear to be three consequences to this that are not that helpful.

Firstly, the English spoken by maids is not usually that good and, as a consequence, the child in its formative years picks up poor grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation, elements of language that are difficult to improve on in later years.

Secondly, I have noticed that maids often participate in play as an unnecessary auxiliary aid. For instance, pushing a pedal-bike, directing play or insisting that television is watched. Apart from the cultural problems maids from different countries bring, their attempts to ease or direct leisure activities take away from children some of the adventure they should be involved with.

Related to this, the other consequence seems to have something to do with the maids’ attempting to keep the children happy, that is encouraging the children to eat sweets and drink canned drinks. While I can understand the wish to keep their jobs, my experience is that the children become used to having a high sugar content diet, and become spoiled knowing that they can always get their own way. This is problem in many families without maids but, at one distance removed, it is far worse and is likely to be one of the factors accounting for the degree of obesity in modern youth.

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Girls’ play

From the age of about eight or nine girls are not able to enjoy the freedom boys have and are restricted to the house and, specifically, they are not permitted to play with boys outside their immediate family. Play for them must centre on the house and female family or relations where they are heavily involved in learning the business of the household, or at School where, depending upon the School, they are able to take place in organised games or activities such as gymnastics and basketball. Public display by girls or women is still forbidden, and so their ability to perform in sports is restricted to educational establishments and female audiences. This regulation is loosening, but is unlikely to see Qatari women wearing the brief clothing worn by Western athletes.

This restriction is not quite as closely maintained in activities such as dance which is taught in all schools, and it is possible to see performances on television. However, it is usually only girls who are seen performing, not women. An unfortunate aspect of this, however, is that the dances taught are rarely traditionally Qatari. It is also notable that the majority of children’s songs are derived from Qatar’s marine tradition rather than from the desert as the majority of people lived in settlements on the coast.

Here four girls play a game which involves singing and clapping as they move to their own rhythm. There is a strong oral tradition in the Arab world as there is in many cultures where there were few opportunities to write and pass on their histories due to the lack of the necessary materials. In this respect, these young girls are replicating a tradition which, in men, can be heard at their razeef.

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Boys’ play

While girls of the household are encouraged to learn their rôles within it, boys have a similar process designed to set them in their place in the household. To some extent this takes them away from play as a formal or informal activity as they begin to take their place in the men’s world. It is not uncommon for very young children to be taken to formal majalis, to offices and to the shops, the latter two operations in reality an extension of the majlis system.

As a part of this system boys learn at first hand the formal and informal rules associated with the life of men within the society. I have seen that not only do they go to the masjid where their participation is a natural element of their being a member of the Muslim society but, in majalis they both assist in the operation of the majlis as well as being brought into conversation and their advice sought. It is interesting to see how they develop, obtaining the confidence, for instance, to order and direct servants. Which reminds me that a combination of this confidence, overlying the basic relationship between the sexes, creates the unusual sight to a Westerner of young boys ordering their older sisters around – and the older sisters obeying them…

This additional feature of boys’ lives takes them away from informal play for part of their day, but it compensates both by giving them the confidence that comes through knowledge as well as permitting the wider male society the opportunity to witness and make judgements on the individual boys. This is a feature of badu society where individuals are selected for their competence, and where primogeniture is not practised.

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Sport

I have broken out the subject of sport from play in order to try to deal with this element of play in a wider context. I can’t say what the most popular sport is, though I suspect it is football. This has much to do with the influence of football internationally, but also something to do with competition both within the country and internationally.

Arabs traditionally love camels. The camel is, despite the lack of understanding it appears to enjoy the West, a beautiful animal well suited to it natural environment, the desert. There is considerable tradition in the Arab world relating to the animal on which so much reliance has been placed. Both as a beast of burden and a source of food and shelter it has been fêted for centuries. They are valuable in themselves with some camels changing hands for small fortunes. Nowadays good breeding and racing camels command high prices as racing has become an increasingly popular sport. In the past these races were held out in the middle of the peninsula with the owners driving their four-wheel drives alongside their camels to encourage the riders to greater effort. But times have changed.

Many in the West will have heard or read something about the problems associated with under-age jockeys being brought into the different Gulf states in order to race camels. The great benefit of having children instead of adults was, of course, their light weight. Usually these children came from the Indian sub-continent and were taught at an early age to control racing camels. These camels are, like race horses, highly strung and require considerable skill as well as strong control, and it was considered a tribute to these young jockeys that they were able to handle these camels effectively. But this concern now seems to have been dealt with, and Qatar was the first of the Gulf states to ban the use of child jockeys and introduce automation to the racing of camels, as can be seen in this lower photograph.

There were no sports in the Western sense enjoyed in the peninsula before Westerners introduced them. Certainly there was hawking in the region and there were games played by children which will be dealt with elsewhere, but I believe it was golf that was introduced as the first formal sport with an established set of rules. The first two courses were associated with the oil companies and were formed at Umm Said near to the oil terminal in the south of the country, and Dukhan in the west. With no grass in the desert the courses were formed on the sand with the areas around the holes oiled to stop movement of the sand and to create a relatively smooth area. To tee-off, players carried with them a small piece of artificial turf to replicate grass.

The skills developed playing on sand were different from those required on traditional, grass courses, and residents consistently were able to beat visitors unused to the novel surface. With the increased interest in tourism, buttressed by the ability to create and water grass in the peninsula, grass courses are now being introduced throughout the region, including Qatar as can be seen in the lower photograph.

Although Qataris have been known to play golf, it really remains the province of Westerners incorporating as it does a very popular sport and a device for maintaining and developing social and business contacts. In this latter context it has interesting resonances with the majlis system enjoyed by Qataris.

more to be written…and about football, cricket, basketball…

Qatar, as national policy, is encouraging a number of different sports circuits to include Qatar in their annual programmes. There is serious competition between the Gulf states as only one country will be able to take a single sport from each circuit. Bahrein, for instance, is now on the international Formula One racing circuit, and rallying, golf, tennis and squash are now annual events in Qatar. I have to emphasise these are spectator sports though there are some nationals making inroads into these sports such as rallying, shown here with a car speeding through the typical terrain in the centre of the peninsula.

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Hospitality, observation and perception

One of the most pleasant experiences in Qatar is camping in the desert. Qataris generally love to take time there, particularly in the cooler months of the year when they can also take their hawks. It replicates, in some small way, the life of the badu and the traditions of hospitality, though without a lot of the hard work that typifies the life of the badu. Nowadays, as you can see from this photo, it takes a slightly different form but is no less enjoyable all the same. Here you can see that, in the centre of the ring of cars, an informal majlis has been organised. I have also seen generators and televisions used in this setting, but the main feature is the enjoyment of being in the open desert.

The first three photographs to the right illustrate another aspect of life in the desert, part of a typical scene at a camp fire with a qahwa della being kept warm by the fire at night for the guests. Arabic coffee, green beans ground and roasted with cardamom, then served in small cups, is a staple drink in all social settings, the sounds and smells associated with its preparation adding to the feeling of comfort to those sitting around the fire or camp.

This next photo shows the sight that greets the early riser with the Chinese pots and della in the morning light. But it is not just the sight of the fire and the different pots and pans that is evocative of life in the desert, it is also the smell of the fire and the taste of camel milk. Usually the milk is brought from nearby badu and I have always wondered how it was known where they were in order that somebody could go and fetch the milk.

This photo shows a bowl of camel milk, one of the most important drinks to many. It is usually extremely frothy as this photo shows and, if you are lucky, still warm. The badu regard it as an extremely healthy drink and it has certainly been responsible for maintaining their life in the desert. It is difficult to explain how important life in the desert can be to many Qataris, particularly those of badu stock.

This is the more refined version of the fire in the ground illustrated above. These portable fires are common not just in the desert but, more usually, in houses associated with the majlis. Where there is a separate matbakh for the preparation of coffee for the majlis, then this will be a feature of it. Its great advantage is that it is portable and, in the desert, can be brought into the tent at night to help keep it warm in winter.

Arabs, particularly badu are renowned for their hospitality. The name of Hatim Tai is known to all Arabs as the most generous of men. So hospitable was he that others were envious of a person so famous but with no kingdom, power or wealth. He was a man who even killed his only horse to feed a stranger.

Traditions such as this have fed the badu majalis for centuries. They reinforce the best qualities of badu life and create a template against which others can be judged. But, more than this they embody a range of qualities that characterise the badu.

The desert has a number of features that have had an effect on those who have to live in it. To the Western eye it is featureless and harsh, but to the badu it has an infinite and various range of elements that have to be observed and understood in order for them to be able survive. In addition they have had to deal with other members of their tribe within their limited society as well as with the strangers they meet. This has made them extremely observant both of the physical as well as the psychological environment in which they live.

The consequence of this is that badu in particular and Qataris in general tend to be very observant and solicitous of their guests. Perversely this is not immediately apparent to Westerners. Qataris will be aware of the mood of those they meet

The observational skills of Qataris are far better honed than the average Westerner. There is a feeling that all Arabs dress similarly and that it’s difficult to distinguish one from another. In fact the simple dress of thub, iqal, kaffiyah and qutra contain many clues not just to style and wealth but also to the origins of the wearer. Accessories such as wrist watch, socks and shoes give other clues as does the manner of wearing the qutra. Gulf Arabs can see and draw the necessary inferences from these clues at a great distance. In the construction industry my experience is that they have an extremely good eye for any lines out of plumb or with a waver in them. By the way, they also seem to have an in-built compass enabling them to orient a plan immediately without looking up for their bearings.

These skills also form the basis of an extempore game I have seen played in the desert. Bear in mind that the desert looks, to a Westerner, more or less yellow: one Qatari will ask another to guess the distance from ‘the red rock there to the blue rock over there’ and a car will then be sent to drive the distance between them to see who has the closer guess.

It is similar in a way to another skill I have seen used where Qataris will travel from well to well in the desert and taste the water, comparing what they find for taste and quality.

And I once came on a Qatari in the middle of the sand dunes in winter. He was standing facing a slight breeze with his head raised. I went over to him as a politeness and learned that he was ‘tasting’ the wind. He said it was one of the most pleasant experiences he had; to come to the heart of the desert and both smell and listen to the silence…

These visual, aural and taste skills must have been vital in the past and it is fascinating to see them still being honed.

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External influence

As an aside to my comment on traditional dances for a minute, it is notable that some of the dances used to promote Qatar in the burgeoning tourist industry are based on music and costume that have no basis in the peninsula but appear to me to be Egyptian. I’m told this is also true of some the music. I don’t know if this has something to do with a desire to demonstrate a pan-Arabic character, but it’s sad that the traditional dances, particularly the badu ardha and razeef, and the fishermen’s dances might have been codified with standard dress, dance and music. I don’t know if the tambura has been affected, but doubt it.

I should explain that the ardha is really the original war dance but is said to have become a dance of peace upon the unification of Saudi Arabia. As such it represents the majority of folkloric dancing that you might see at events in Qatar. However, my experience is that Qataris seem to refer to the dance as a razeef so, I’ll call it that here.

There are many Qataris, both young and old, who enjoy their traditional music, and I know it is played privately by them, often on Thursdays and Fridays. In this way it is passed on from generation to generation. But new works continue to be written and performed at the same time that other influences take a hold on the younger generations. I am not able to say to what extent poetry and music continue in the old traditions or are developed along new lines but from observation many of the younger generations play and enjoy music from Egypt, Jordan and the Lebanon as well as from other areas of the Arab world, Europe and north America.

Music, poetry and dance are interwoven in the traditions of both the peninsula as well as the hinterland from which they derive. This forms the basis of most of the folkloric events that continue and are developing in Qatar, and seems to be influenced by many of the pressures I have noted elsewhere.

The razeef

Here are three photographs showing genuine dances at a traditional razeef; the sepia photograph, in the paragraph above, was taken in the nineteen fifties, the second and third, in this paragraph, I took in the early nineteen seventies. The two photographs in this paragraph shows some of the dancers with a typical collection of weaponry – rashash, saif and khanjar – the lower shows one side of the chorus line. The razeef is essentially a war dance where two lines of men, facing each other, chant in response to a single person leading them in an eight-bar refrain. Between them men show themselves with their weapons in a slow moving, individualist display, usually of support but, I’m told, in the past of aggression, perhaps more like the ardha. The call and response from the lines of men can be powerful and can also be funny and insulting to their enemies.

Here by contrast are three drummers each holding a tara which have, painted on them, the name of their group – lu’lu’, or ‘pearl’ – complete with their telephone number. I realise there is a need for advertising but it does look a little strange to see what happens in certain circumstances when tradition meets the modern world. I’m sure there must be a better way of doing this.

These next two photographs, of a uniformed troupe, show the modern face of traditional music in Qatar. I believe it may be the same group playing at an indoor event, and in Doha’s newly reconstructed suq, on whose architecture I have written notes on the Islamic urban design page and on the touristic policies governing it further down the page and elsewhere in these notes.

I should say in defence of the musicians that there are many who support their old traditions and I understand a small number of individuals still wish to learn to play the different instruments. This is a cultural issue and in many families there is the tradition of passing on the skills and music from father to son. Nowadays, of course, there is more competition for pursuits which might be considered leisure even though, in their earlier employment, they would not have been seen as leisure but as a continuation of normal socio-cultural activities. But times have changed and the fora in which musicians traditionally plied their profession have disappeared or have significantly altered with the pressures of modern life and foreign influences. Some musicians still meet to rehearse and pass on their music to others, but there is also a commercial element in that they are hired for official and private functions, the latter appearing to require advertising as witnessed by the photo in the preceding paragraph. It seems to be the latter initiative which has commercialised and codified their dress and I can’t say it looks right. Hopefully their music will remain traditional in concept if not in origin, even though I know there are northern influences coming in with the introduction of musical ‘experts’ who, with the best will in the world will have an influence both in the music as well as the way in which it is presented.

Finally, a reminder of the past. This photograph was taken in the desert in the early nineteen seventies and shows an earlier generation of drummers, each with his tara, tuning their instruments in the traditional manner, by warming them over an open fire. Having said that, I have a feeling that there might have been writing on the older drums, though there wouldn’t have been the telephone numbers…

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The tambura

The tambura is a very different type of dance. I have suggested above that it is unlikely to change much but I suspect that this may not be the case. Even in the nineteen seventies it took two different forms. One of them appeared to be the genuine event, the other a more recreational version of it to which anybody might be invited to watch.

The tambura used to be held in a house or courtyard in the old areas of Doha. It seemed that the more genuine tambura was held on Thursday night, the more public one on Friday afternoon. In order to find it you just followed the deep percussive sound of the drums through the unlit sikkat, but there was also a tall flag-pole on the top of which there would generally be a crude model aircraft which reminded me a little of the Cargo Cult – though I am not suggesting any connection between the two ceremonies.

Although I have referred to the tambura as a dance it is really a healing or cleansing ceremony or ritual. It is pre-Islamic, originates in Africa, is generally performed or led by women and involves Zar who is either a god, cult or a state of trance – depending on who you talk to. It is clear that many I have spoken to find it difficult to discuss. Exactly why, I’m not sure though I think it might have something to do with the primacy of Islam.

At its simplest it is an event governed by a woman at which, to the accompaniment of drums, a stringed instrument – tambura – and a percussive device worn around the waist – manjur, men and women move in time to the music with a view to entering a state of trance. I have been told that, when a person enters a trance, they may then answer questions put to them. The only time I have witnessed this I was told that the questions were in the form of asking advice on personal problems. I have also seen people go into trances where they were then just kept from harming themselves. In a confined space, the real form can be a little disconcerting when seen for the first time.

These three photographs show a little of the more public ceremony. In the top photo there is a woman leading the dance with both women and men dancing behind her. To the left there are two men, each with a manjur, and a single drum to be seen. The manjur is made from goats hooves loosely attached to a sacking backcloth. The man using it swivels his hips rhythmically making a dry, double rattle to each beat. The drums, as you can see, are made from tins over which a piece of animal hide is stretched. They are struck with a piece of rubber insulation from electrical cabling, and the sound they make is felt viscerally. Sitting near them for too long can make you feel uncomfortable, if not ill.

There is another drum that is commonly used but I don’t have a photograph of it. The drum is the tabl which is double-ended, similar in size to the drums in the photograph below, is suspended at waist level horizontally around the neck and beaten at both ends.

Here the tambura can be clearly seen. It is a five gut-stringed, lyre-like instrument which, according to my research, is tuned to a pentatonic scale. It is played with the fingers plucking the strings with one hand, the other hand being used to make the notes or dampen the strings. The man in the background is playing the manjur. Often the man will use a cane of walking stick length, apparently to improve his balance.

This third photo shows the drums being played with a tambura in the background. It is not uncommon for dancers to break out of the line and kneel with the